Dreams Redeemed
by Leaflame
Summary: This is my first fic, so I hope you like it. Ash and Serena both have dreams. But they both have conflicts. Where will they find answers? In their dreams? Or.. maybe in each other's hearts. Amourshipping.
1. Chapter 1

**Dreams Redeemed**

An Amourshipping Fanfiction

Chapter 1: Doubts and Thoughts

'Pikachu, use Iron Tail! Noivern, use Dragon Claw!' Ash commanded during a training session. Pikachu and Noivern gave cries of enthusiasm and hurled themselves at each other. ' _Pikachu and Noivern are shaping up really well!'_ Ash thought as he watched the two attacks collide with a critical eye. Meanwhile, Serena watched her boyfriend and cheered him on. They were at the battlefield at the Laverre City Pokemon Center, helping each other train. About half an hour ago, Ash had helped Serena perfect a Performance routine with Braixen and Sylveon. Serena smiled softly to herself as she watched the raven-haired Trainer work with his Pokemon. He really had changed since his eighth badge is Snowbelle City. Gone was the dull, despondent Ash that she had lost her temper at in the Snowbelle forests. She didn't know what she had done to make Ash fall for her, but she was glad all the same. ' _I wish Performing was as exciting as battling'_ she thought to herself. She loved her dream, but somehow, after she saw what Ash had done in the Snowbelle gym, she had always felt that Performing was just a way to dance and have fun. She wished that there was more to it. She broke out of her reverie when she saw Ash walking up to her, a strangely preoccupied look on his face. 'Hey' he said as he walked up to her and gave her a quick hug. Serena hugged him back and asked 'Is something wrong?' she asked. Ash gave her a smile. 'Nothing for you to worry about' he replied. 'You want something? I'm heading out to town. I need to run some errands.' 'No, I don't need anything. Thanks for asking!' Ash gave her a soft smile, a wave, and left the battlefield. She stood there for a few minutes, and then decided to take a walk herself. She anyway needed to drop her Performing outfit off to the seamstress's, so she could get that done too. Besides, she needed to clear her head. She set off down the pavewalk, admiring everyone's fashionable dresses.

Ash had finished running all of his errands. He decided to take a walk. He needed to clear his head, and battling wasn't going to help him this time around. As he walked down Laverre's paved streets, he passed a library. He rememberes the times his mom would take him to the local library so that he could look up different Pokemon. Smiling wistfully, he stepped in. Then he heard an old, female voice say 'So, my little girls and boys, would you like to know how Pokemon Performing came into existence?' 'YES!' the little children sitting around the old lady shouted. Ash thought of Serena, and he immediately felt better. She was just… awesome. He had wanted to give her something, but hadn't found anything. So he would tell her a story instead. Smiling, he joined the group of kids around the old lady.

As Serena walked down the streets of Laverre, she stopped at a park. Then she heard an old voice say 'So, little children, do you know how the career of being a Trainer came into existence?' All the children shouted assent with delight. Thinking of Ash, she sat down to hear the story

End of Chapter 1


	2. Author's note

**Hear ye! Hear ye!**

 **Authors note.**

Hey guys!

I'm a total rookie when it comes to writing fics, and Dreams Redeemed is my first one. So, being the major rookie that I am, I forgot to write an author's note. So here it is!

What are the stories our heroes will hear? What is preoccupying Ash? Will our couple be able to find answers? All will be revealed in the second and final chapter. I've decided to post shorter chapters more frequently than keep you guys waiting for a long one. Please review, it's very important to me. Besides, the one way I can say hi to you guys is through my reviews, right?

Please review and keep smiling,

Leaflame.


	3. Friends and Concerns

**Dreams Redeemed**

An Amourshipping Fanfiction

Chapter 2: Friends and Concerns

Serena returned from her walk, her head full of thoughts. She had a little bit of trouble leaving the park, because a lot of people recognized her from the Masterclass, and wanted her to stay put. Thankfully, she had finally managed to escape them, and was now on her way to the Pokemon Centre when a distinctly familiar, feminine voice called out "Dear me! Serena, is that you?" There was only one woman in all of Laverre City who carried off such an old expression so naturally. "Valerie!" Serena exclaimed, both surprised and delighted to meet one of her idols. Hot blood rushed up to her face, colouring it bright red. The Laverre gym leader looked as lovely as always, but there was something in her face that hadn't been there the last time Serena saw her. "Serena, it's really good to see you! What brings you to Laverre?" "Hi! It's really nice to see you too! We're heading towards Lumiose City so that Ash can compete in the Kalos League," Serena explained. Valerie grinned. "So the rumours are true! That Ash defeated Wulfric in Snowbelle City?" Serena smiled, happy for her boyfriend. "Yes, they are true!" she confirmed. "And the rumours about his Greninja?" Valerie queried. "True again!" Serena replied. A mischievous smile spread across Valerie's beautiful features. "A sweet little Pokemon told me that you and Ash are dating? Congratulations! He's quite a catch," she told Serena. Serena's entire face turned such a bright shade of red she looked like a human tomatoberry. Why, oh why did every single female friend of hers know that she and Ash were dating? "Y-yes we are!" she squeaked. "How did you know?" she asked Valerie. "Practically everyone knows that the two of you are dating," she said. Serena smiled. She would do anything for him. "So how's Performing?" Valerie asked. Serena's smile evaporated in an instant. Why did Valerie have to ask about the one thing that bothered Serena the most? "It's okay, I guess," she mumbled. Realizing that she had spent a little too long talking to Valerie, Serena said "I really must get going. I'll see you soon!" Valerie looked a little disappointed, but she said her goodbyes and left.

Ash's stomach told him that it was time to go and eat. He had spent hours and hours simply walking around Laverre City, because he had nothing else to do. And he still hadn't managed to find an answer to his problem. He scowled. "Pika pika?" Pikachu asked anxiously, sensing its trainer's irritation. "It's nothing, buddy," Ash said reassuringly to the little yellow mouse sitting on his shoulder. Pikachu looked disbelievingly at Ash, clearly not buying it. Ash gave Pikachu a wry smile. "You always know what's on my mind, don't you?" The little yellow mouse smiled and patted Ash on his shoulder with a reassuring smile. Suddenly, a voice called out "It's been a while!" Ash grinned broadly. "Tierno! Long time no see!" Ash's rival grinned. "Nothing much. Training for the Kalos League," "Awesome!" Ash said, grinning broadly. "Now then," Tierno's smile turned mischievous. "Congrats!" "Why?" Ash asked. "Because you're dating the beautiful Serena, obviously!" Tierno said, a big smile on his face. Ash instantly turned bright red. Why did everyone in the whole region have to know that he was dating Serena? It wasn't fair. "Uh, yes we are! Thanks a lot!" "So how's training go-," Tierno never finished his sentence because an all too familiar growling sound from Ash's rather annoyed stomach interrupted him. Both immediately burst out laughing. "'Kay then. See you soon!" Ash bid his farewell to Tierno and left.

Dinnertime rolled around, with Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie and the groups Pokemon all sat down to eat Clemont's delicious food. But, despite the delicious food, the mood around the table was rather subdued, because neither Ash nor Serena were saying a word. Both of them were staring worriedly into their plates, as if something was bothering them. The food was cleaned up and the dishes were washed up and stowed away. Everybody left to get ready for bed.

On the way to her room, Serena ran into Ash. "What's the matter?" they asked each other simultaneously, and smiled at their concern for each other. The happy mood dissipated quickly. "Serena, is something up?" Ash asked. "You've been looking preoccupied throughout the day," Serena smiled wanly. "Yes." "Let's go out. You can tell me there." Serena nodded. A few minutes later, both were outside the Pokemon Centre, sitting on a nearby bench and enjoying the cool night air. "Alright then. Start talking," Ash said. Leaning into her boyfriend's shoulder, Serena began to talk. "You see, the problem is…

 ***Drumroll!* A cliffhanger ending! I decided to add a slightly humorous chapter to lighten the mood, and finish it off with the next one. It was getting fairly long, and I wanted to add this to introduce a few more characters, and set the mood for the next chapter. Both stories will be told in the next chapter, which you can expect anywhere between three to five days. I hope you liked it. Please review so that I can improve the finale of this story and make it awesome. See you guys soon!**

 **Review and keep smiling,**

 **Leaflame**


	4. Dreams and Clarity

**Dreams Redeemed**

An Amourshipping Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, or any of it's characters.

Chapter 3: Dreams and Clarity

The night was cool, and the sky was clear, with a crescent moon and a million stars shining brightly. Two people sat on a bench outside the Laverre City Pokemon Centre.

Ash and Serena were sitting together outside the Pokemon Centre. Leaning into her boyfriends' firm shoulder, Serena finally began to talk. "You see, the problem is that I don't think Performing is all that it's hyped up to be," Serena explained. Ash looked rather surprised. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You see, I don't really get the point in Pokemon Performing. Sure, it's a lot of fun, and I love dancing with Braixen , Pancham, and Sylveon, and I'm making my audience happy. But how does it help? I can't get out of a potentially perilous situation by just dancing and having fun! And I know that Performing is really beautiful to watch, and that I'm giving my audience strength and happiness. But why? It doesn't even have a concrete reason to it!" Serena wailed, giving vent to all the frustration that she had been carrying in her chest throughout the day.

Meanwhile, Ash hadn't said a word. Now he let out a low whistle. "Wow," he said softly. "I never knew that it bothered you so much. I wish you'd spoken up earlier though," he finished. Serena smiled softly. Trust Ash to always make her feel better. After a moment, Ash smiled. "Would you like to listen to a story?" he asked her. "It might just solve your problem," he added, smiling. "I'm in," Serena said, shifting her position so that it became more comfortable for her and rested her head on Ash's shoulder. She smiled. "Fire away. I'm listening," she said with an interested and slightly more cheerful grin. Ash began his story.

"I was walking through Laverre City, running some errands, when I passed a library," he began. "I was about to leave when I heard an old lady telling some kids a story. She was telling them about how Performing came to be, and I thought of you at once," he explained. "I had wanted to bring you something, but I hadn't found anything. So I thought that I would tell you a story instead," he said, blushing a little and rubbing his nose with his index finger. Serena felt a glow of warmth within her chest, and she smiled softly. She took his hand and pressed her forehead against it, wondering yet again on what she had done to get someone like Ash. "Go on," she said encouragingly. "As I was saying," he said, "I sat down to hear the story. So this is how it goes",

"Long ago, a really awful disease struck the whole region, killing millions of people and Pokemon alike within a matter of hours. Wails of pain and sadness could be heard wherever one went, and dead bodies littered the streets. Many had lost best friends, parents, and family. One such unfortunate town had lost more than half its' population. In this town there was a young girl named Fira. Fira hated to see how everyone had suffered, and wanted to help them. She wished that she could cure the disease, but she was no doctor. So she would comfort herself by dancing. She loved dancing, and was really good at it. One night, she had just finished dancing, when she saw a little orphan girl standing in a corner, watching her dance. The once small, sad, forlorn face had broken into a big smile, and it was a really awesome thing to see. Fira felt happy that she had managed to help the little girl. She never forgot that night," Ash said.

"Then?" Serena asked.

"The disease got eradicated after a while, but it left many without family, friends and loved ones. Mental asylums were filling up with the sad and the depressed. People were trying to kill themselves so that they could see their loved ones again. Fira was older, and she couldn't stand the sight of so many sad people. She was a professional dancer by then. One day, she saw a family weeping over the body of a little girl. She thought of that little orphan girl, and how she had smiled when she saw Fira's performance. Fira decided to use her talent to help the people come back to normal. She held a performance, and it was a huge success. It became a trend, and a few girls held friendly competitions with one another. It grew into what it is today from there," Ash finished.

"Wow," Serena whispered. The story had cleared all her doubts in one fell swoop, and she felt much better. Smiling brightly, she threw her arms around Ash's neck and hugged him tightly, and gave him a peck on his cheek. "Thank you so much," she whispered. "You're welcome," Ash said, grinning broadly. But that bothered look hadn't left his face yet. "Okay," she said. "Start talking." Ash looked confused. "About what?" "Whatever's been bothering you," Serena replied. "You've been looking preoccupied all day, and I know something's off. What is it?" she asked. Ash sighed. He was probably the most dense guy on the planet, but he had somehow gotten Serena for a girlfriend. Ash had no idea what he had done to have gotten Serena for a girlfriend, but he was happy all the same. She knew him like the back of her hand. "Well," he began, haltingly. "My problem's sort of similar to yours. See, I really like being a Trainer, but sometimes I feel like all that I'm doing is making things better for myself alone. It's unfair to the Pokemon, to be sent out to fight just because I want them to. They can get really badly hurt. Once, Pikachu nearly died. Then it happened again with Greninja in Snowbelle. There's a lot for me, but what's in it for my Pokemon?" he muttered, staring dejectedly at his feet. Serena understood his problem, but she had a feeling she could solve it. "You know, once you left, I went for a walk too," she confessed. Before Ash could say a word, Serena continued to speak. "I had some work to do, and once I had finished it, I visited one of Laverre's parks. I had wanted to get you something to cheer you up, but I wasn't sure what. I heard am old lady telling a bunch of little children about how training came into existence." "I thought of you immediately," she added shyly. Ash smiled and put his arm around her. "Then what?" he asked. "Tell me the story," he said. "Alright then," Serena said, smiling. "So here's how training came into existence."

"About a few hundred years ago, a horrible plague that targeted Pokemon struck the land. Pokemon died by the millions, leaving their trainers bereft. Many developed mental disorders, and a few even killed themselves. Battling had already come into existence, but back then it was a hobby. Due to the grief many trainers were suffering from, having lost precious friends, they rejected new pokemon offered to them. They wouldn't bond, and the village chief was at a loss because without strong bonds, they wouldn't be able to fend off enemy attackers. Then, he remembered how he felt when he first battled with his partner, and how he had grown closer to it. He decided to try it out with the villagers. He asked them to battle one another, and to tell him how they felt afterwards. The villagers did to, and, as he had expected, they started becoming closer to their Pokemon through battling. It grew into such a trend that people started competing with one another for rewards, and then official Training developed from there," she finished.

Ash looked surprised. "But why?" he asked. "Why did they grow closer?" "Because when you battle, you and you Pokemon get to know one another. You observe the Pokemon's strengths, weak points and its' battling style, and in turn the Pokemon gets to know you through the way you talk to it, encourage it, and command it during battle, and how you treat it afterwards. Your bonds get stronger during a battle, and that's between the both of you. The Pokemon gets someone to love, and who loves it back, and it has an opportunity to get strong, but in a better way," Serena finished. Ash grinned and exclaimed "That's it! That was what I was looking for! Thanks a lot Serena!" he finished, and hugged her tightly, feeling her warmth seep through his shirt and into his bones. Serena blushed and said "You're most welcome." Both of them walked arm in arm towards the Pokemon Centre, and slept in their separate rooms with smiles on their faces and warmth in their hearts.

Finished!

 **Authors' note: Phew! That was a long chapter! I hoped it lived up to your expectations, because it sure was a lot of work! I had fun all the same, though. Please review as it would mean a lot to me to make friends with you guys and get ideas for my next fics, and know where I have to improve. I really hope you liked it, and see you guys soon!**

 **Please review and keep smiling,**

 **Leaflame.**


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